Women's 7s scoop team and coach of the year awards
It was ladies night at the 2016 Wellington's Rugby awards where the Wellington Women's 7s team and their coach Charles Aliva scooped the representative team and coach of the year awards.
Wellington Lions captain Brad Shields and Pride halfback Acacia Te Iwimate scooped the respective men's and women's representative player of the year prizes, but it was the women's sevens who had most to celebrate.
Under Aliva's guidance Wellington's women's sevens team has progressed over the past three years from a team unable to qualify for the nationals to reaching this year's final at the Bayley's Nationals in Rotorua.
Spearheaded by Wellington Women's 7s Player of the Year Kat Whata-Simpkins, the team recorded wins over Otago, Counties-Manukau, North Harbour, Auckland and Canterbury to place themselves among the best sevens players in the country before a narrow loss to Manawatu in the final.
The women's sevens headed off the highly successful Wellington Under 16 A and Development teams for the Wellington Representative Team of the Year Award.
Aliva was awarded the Bill Freeman Memorial Trophy Representative Coach of the Year Award ahead of Under 16A coach Willie Leota and Under 16 Development coach Garry Archer.
Te Iwimate was named Wellington Women's Player of the Year after playing a key role as the spark plug in the Pride's attack during their run to the semifinal of the Farah Palmer Cup.
Te Iwimate, who was also key member of the Wainuiomata women's club team that won the Victoria Tavern Trophy this year, headed off 2015 winner Jackie Patea and Oriental Rongotai wing Ayesha Leti-I'iga for the player of the year award.
Shields was named Wellington Lions Player of the Year after leading the Lions from the front on and off the field for the Lions in 2016. He was a tireless force in defence and selflessly adapted to the Mitre 10 Cup's new trial laws by playing in all three loose forward positions during the campaign.
Shields started in nine of the team's eleven matches during their run to the Mitre 10 Cup Championship semifinals and brought up his 50th cap for the Lions during a big win against Northland in Whangarei.
The other Lions player of the year finalists were Lions utility back Wes Goosen, centre Matt Proctor, and big lock Sam Lousi.
Young Lions hooker Asafo Aumua took out the Most Promising Player of the Year award after the 19-year-old finished the Mitre 10 Cup season as the Lions top try scorer with six including an impressive hattrick against Northland.
Aumua was also a key member of the Wellington Under 19s team that finished third at the Jock Hobbs Memorial national tournament in Taupo.
The Avalon rake headed off a high quality field of finalists including lock Isaia Walker-Leawere, fullback Peter Umaga-Jensen and prop Alex Fidow.
Aumua was also awarded the Al Keown Memorial Cup which was awarded to the best performing player in the 2016 Wellington Rugby Academy.
The major club awards for 2016 went to Tawa. The club's Premier team was named Club Team of the Year following their Jubilee Cup victory, while coaches Doug Fletcher and Willie Lafaele were jointly named as Club Coach of the Year.
To cap off Tawa's night, No 8 Peniasi Tokakece received the Billy Wallace Memorial Trophy as the player who received the most cumulative points from The Dominion Post rugby writers during the club season.
A special mention must be made of Rimutaka Junior Rugby Club, who received the Burger King Sideline Environment Award as voted for by their opponents during the season.
The full list of finalists and winners of the Wellington Rugby Awards are as follows:
Junior Merit Award
Awarded to the club with the highest average aggregate points per team, per game.
Western Suburbs
AJ Griffiths Memorial Trophy
Awarded to the team with the highest average aggregate points, per game.
Avalon Premier Reserve
Sir William Perry Memorial Trophy
Awarded to the club scoring the highest average aggregate of championship points per team.
Oriental Rongotai
Dewar Shield
Awarded to the club scoring the highest aggregate of championship points per team
Old Boys University
Burger King Sideline Environment Award
Awarded to the club that received the highest score across the season as voted by their opposition
Rimutaka Junior Rugby Football Club.
WRFU Junior Volunteer of the Year Award
Nominees: Roseanne Mahuri-Tukukino (Rimutaka), Martin Paget (Marist St Pats), Dale Wall (Wellington Under 13s).
WINNER: Dale Wall (Wellington Under 13s).
WRFU Senior Volunteer of the Year
Nominees: Brad Houlahan (Old Boys University), Dave Painter (Upper Hutt Rams), Mike Woollett (Petone).
WINNER: Mike Woollett (Petone).
Club Coach of the Year
Nominees: James Bailey & Michael Barnes (Old Boys University Colts Green), Kent Harris (Hutt Old Boys Marist Premier Reserve), Douglas Fletcher & Willie Lafaele (Tawa Premiers).
WINNER: Doug Fletcher & Willie Lafaele, Tawa Premier Co-coaches.
Club Team of the Year
Nominees: Old Boys University Colts Green, Tawa Premier, Wainuiomata Women.
WINNER: Tawa Premier.
Referee of the Year
Nominees: Richard Gordon, Nick Hogan, Vincent Ringrose.
WINNER: Richard Gordon
Billy Wallace Memorial Trophy
During the year The Dominion Post rugby reporters awarded points for the best & fairest club player. The player with the highest cumulative total receives the Billy Wallace Memorial Trophy.
WINNER: Peniasi Tokakece (Tawa).
Al Keown Memorial Cup
Awarded to the best performing player in the 2016 Wellington Rugby Academy.
WINNER: Asafo Aumua.
Ken Comber Memorial Cup
Awarded to the Academy player who best embraces the Academy Philosophy of commitment and hard work.
WINNER: Piri Paraone.
Wellington Rugby Supporters Club Player of the Year
WINNER: Jackson Garden-Bachop (Northern United)
Women's 7s Player of the Year
Nominees: Georgia Daals (Old Boys University/Wellington), Ayesha Leti-I'iga (Oriental Rongotai/Wellington), Kat Whata-Simpkins (Avalon/Wellington/New Zealand).
WINNER: Kat Whata-Simpkins
Men's 7s Player of the Year
Nominees: Tomasi Alosio (Hutt Old Boys Marist/Wellington/Samoa), Max Pearson (Upper Hutt Rams/Wellington/New Zealand), Sheridan Rangihuna (Hutt Old Boys Marist/Wellington).
WINNER: Tomasi Alosio
Most Promising Player
Nominees: Asafo Aumua (Avalon/ Wellington Under 19/ Wellington Lions), Alex Fidow (Oriental-Rongotai/ Wellington Under 19/ Wellington Lions), Peter Umaga-Jensen (Wainuiomata/ Wellington Under 19/ Wellington Lions/ Hurricanes), Isaia Walker-Leawere (Poneke/ Wellington Under 19/ Wellington Lions/ Hurricanes).
WINNER: Asafo Aumua
Women's Player of the Year
Nominees: Ayesha Leti-I'iga (Oriental Rongotai), Jackie Patea (Wainuiomata), Acacia Te Iwimate (Wainuiomata).
WINNER: Acacia Te Iwimate.
Bill Freeman Memorial Trophy Representative Coach of the Year
Nominees: Charles Aliva (Women's 7s), Willie Leota (Wellington Under 16A), Garry Archer (Under 16 Development).
WINNER: Charles Aliva
Representative Team of the Year
Nominees: Wellington Under 16A, Wellington Under 16 Development, Wellington Women's 7s.
WINNER: Wellington Women's 7s.
Wellington Lions Player of the Year
Nominees: Brad Shields, Matt Proctor, Sam Lousi, Wes Goosen.
WINNER: Wellington Lions Captain Brad Shields.